NFC Presents National Chair Emily Bastian with a Fly Fishing Outfit...
NFC National Chair Emily Bastian and Executive Director Bob Mallard.
Members of NFC recently chipped in to purchase a backcountry brook trout fly fishing outfit for founding member and National Chair Emily Bastian. This was done in recognition of her ongoing efforts and impact on NFC, and her lifelong support of wild native fish:
Epic 476 Packlight Fly Rod (7’6”, 4-Weight, 5-Piece)
Abel TR 2/3 Fly Reel (Derek DeYoung Brook Trout Finish)
At the formation of NFC, the first person founding member and current Executive Director Bob Mallard reached out was Emily Bastian. Having recently left her position with Maine Audubon where she headed up a multi-agency/organization, multi-year, volunteer brook trout survey project, Emily was the perfect candidate to help get NFC off the ground…
At the inception of NFC, Emily served as the inaugural Chair for the Maine Chapter, our first, where she helped put NFC on the map and created the blueprint for all chapters to come. As NFC grew, Emily stepped into the National Vice Chair role. A couple of years later she assumed the position of National Chair where she serves as an integral part of the organization.
Emily is a degreed ecologist graduating first in class at University of New Hampshire, after graduating first in her high school class. She has worked for National Park Service, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Audubon, Appalachian Mountain Club, and L.L. Bean.
Emily is also a Registered Maine Fishing Guide, accomplished fly tyer, and skilled outdoors person. She is also a lifelong, literally, fly fisher and has fly fished for as long as she has been able to hold a rod…
Emily’s contributions to NFC are too many to list, but include spearheading our first notable project, informational signs for Maine’s rare Arctic Charr waters. She has managed NFC’s largest volunteer effort to date, our Maine State Heritage Fish Sign initiative which has seen over 485 informational signs posted on 350 waters to date.
Emily also handles all of NFC’s shwag procurement and warehousing, accounting and banking, and show/event logistics, while providing general support to our growing list of state chapters.
NFC owes a great debt to Emily, as do our wild native fish. She is the consummate professional and one of the most dedicated and focused volunteers in the the world of wild native fish conservation. The fly fishing outfit was a way for her peers to recognize her efforts and value to the organization.
Special thanks to all the NFC members who donated money to make this happen, and to Epic Fly Rods, Abel Fly Reels, Scientific Anglers, and Mountain Cork for their support.
